Sinking Friendships
by tinylionsteps
Summary: One Shot. Set during the car crash in 3.02 and the end hug and make up scene. As the toxic water is rising around them Jane realizes how she really feels for Maura. After they return to her home and Jane's family leave she knows that she needs to make a decision. Tell her now, or never. Rizzles sort of song fic - to Sinking Friendships by Jonsi.


**A/N: **My first one-shot, song fic. Set to (part of) the lyrics of Sinking Friendships - Jonsi. This is the car scene and then the end scene from 3.02 recreated and then re-imagined with a different ending. It didn't really need to be a song-fic, but I felt the lyrics fit well and wanted to give it a go. The lyrics are in italics. Comments/reviews would be awesome :)

_My lips are pale blue_

_My shivering half-moon_

The water rushed around the car with incredibly power, quickly pooling around their feet.  
"C'mon" Jane grunted, trying to pry herself free from her seatbelt straightjacket. "C'MON!" she yelled with sudden force, an idea sprung to mind. Jane struggled to reach for her phone, removing the glass screen in hope that it would suffice as a sharp enough tool to set her free. She began rubbing it against her seat belt, watching as the ends began to fray slightly.

"Try your phone" Maura mumbled, her eyes closed and face turning an eerily grey shade.

"I can't Maura, it's busted and it got wet", Jane grumbled. She was frustrated, but she hated herself immediately for taking it out on the injured Maura.

Maura was in and out of reality, her delirium setting in. She had lost a lot of blood.

_My last night's lost tune_

_It's the end of the end of the end_

"Call your Mom", Maura sighed inwardly, rocking her head from side to side. "Tell her we're friends again".

Jane laughed sadly. She breathed deeply, sniffling in an attempt to stop the tears that were daring to fall from her eyes. Here they were, faced with death again, and Maura was concerned with their friendship. This couldn't be the end for them, Jane wouldn't let it be. There was still so much she had to tell Maura, so much more she needed to say.

_Our sinking friendships_

_We drown them all_

"Okie Dokie", she began rubbing the glass back and forth more aggressively, leaned against the phone in order to gain more balance. "Hey Ma...". The phone beeped. "Oh crap, it works!" Jane exclaimed, desperately punching buttons to try and reach someone. Anyone.

"The microprocessor dried" Maura's lips turned up in a half-smile, she still hadn't opened her eyes. "Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy..."

"Maybe just texting with..." Jane tried to focus, furiously pressing buttons was getting her nowhere. "Crap no, I...I can only send symbols...Son of a...". They were going to die, the water was toxic and it was swelling around them with alarming speed. If they didn't drown, they'd both be poisoned beyond recovery as soon as it hit their lungs.

"Type 4, 2, . , 3, 9, 1, 0" Maura sung, her voice cheery.

"Kay, Thank you Maura". She knew that Maura's mind was long gone by now, she couldn't tell reality from whatever fantasy world she was dreaming of.

"Bing Bing, Boop Boop Boop", Jane swung her head around to face Maura, enthralled by the noises escaping her mouth. "Bing Bing, Boop Booooop".

_I'm singing a sad tune_

"It's morse code!" she smiled at the caramel haired woman beside her, even in a delirious state she was still the smartest person Jane knew. "Nice job, Maura". She fought back the tears, how could they have let their friendship get to the stage it was at? She missed Maura. She needed her, and now she was faced with the prospect that if she couldn't get her out of there soon enough...No. She refused to think about what might happen, they were getting out of this. They were getting out of this, and Jane would get the chance to tell Maura how she felt. How she'd been feeling for a long time now, but had been too proud and scared to admit.

_Is this all I do?_

_Is this all I do?_

Jane returned to carving away at the seatbelt, she was making progress. She could see the thick straps stretching and she tore through the fabric, the frayed edges splitting around her hands.  
She heard the snap before she felt the grip around her loosen. She was free. She almost yelled with happiness. She turned to Maura, leaning over her so she could try and get her out as well.  
She could feel her pants beginning to stick to her legs as the rising water dampened them. She elevated Maura's leg slightly to keep it out of the toxic water. She turned to face the location from where the water was streaming, it was coming at them hard and fast.  
"That view is not okay", she summoned all of her strength to try to rip Maura out of her prison.

_We should all wear two lifesaving layers_

_We should all wear two..._

Suddenly she heard a familiar voice in the distance calling out to her, "Jane? Maura? You down there?". That husky voice was unmistakable. Jane felt relief wash over her.

"Korsak? Down here, help!", she cried desperately as she searched around in the darkness for sight of him.  
She heard the banging as he climbed down to them, jumping on the back of the car boot and appearing by the passenger seat window.

"You okay?" He peered down, noticing the pale looking medical examiner. She looked terrible, not like he had ever seen her before. Completely vulnerable.

"Yeah. We gotta get Maura outta here alright, the spillway to the reservoir is open. Hurry!" Jane heard her voice break, she knew they weren't in the clear yet. After getting her out of the car, they'd still need to get her to the hospital and even then...would she lose her leg? Had Jane done enough? She knew she'd never forgive herself if she hadn't.

"Did Sergeant Korsak come on our camping trip?" Maura mumbled as he gathered her up in his arms, cradling her like a baby. He looked upon her, her blue mouth quivering and her eyes still closed. She looked like someone who had been through hell and back and who was now at peace. That scared him.

"Great job with the morse code" he turned back to face Jane, continuing to speak before she cut him off.

"Watch her leg! Watch her leg!" she screamed as he pulled Maura free from the car. She didn't mean to sound aggressive, but she knew she did anyway. When it came to Maura she could be aggressive, and somewhat possessive. She knew Korsak didn't take any offense to her tone, she knew that he understood how she felt and that she was just looking after Maura. She was always looking after Maura, and Maura was always looking after her. That's how they worked.

"Can you walk?" he questioned the doctor, whose feet were now touching the ground.

"Uhhh...I can hop" she replied, balancing herself against him as he guided her, hopping, away slowly.

"Ow" Jane mumbled as she pulled herself up of of the drivers seat window. She had hit herself against the frame, too anxious to get out of there to care.

"You stayed with her" she heard Korsak say, his face full of pride and admiration for the young brunette. He knew, alright. He knew she loved her.

"I wouldn't leave her" she smiled, the recognition taking full hit. She loved her. She loved Maura. And she didn't care who knew it anymore. Screw her pride, screw her fear. She had almost lost the love of her life again, without evening telling her the truth about how she felt.

_No one knows you, till it's over_

_You know no one true, till it's over_

They had spent what felt like forever at the hospital, Jane had fought the doctors as they tried to separate her and Maura. They needed to assess them both, to make sure neither had any damaging affects from the toxic water. The surgeons took Maura away, promising to inform Jane as soon as they had any information on her condition. The nurses reassured Jane that she would be able to see Maura as soon as possible.

When she finally did see Maura, she was unconscious. Jane was desperate to see her deep, green eyes once again. She hadn't seen her eyes open since she had operated upon her leg.

She never left her bedside.

By the time Maura awoke, Jane's brother Tommy had arrived. Maura and Jane had been given the all clear and were being released. Jane forced herself not to be hit Tommy as he reached over and kissed Maura on the cheek. She knew that he, too, liked Maura. She couldn't blame him, really. Who wouldn't love someone like Maura?

Jane stared into Maura's eyes, never wanting to her to close them again.

It was a short drive back to Maura's house, spent completely in silence. Maura was overwhelmed, unsure of how to express her gratitude to Jane. She wasn't sure what this all meant, were they friends again? She couldn't read Jane's expression. She couldn't tell if she was still angry at her.

Jane and Tommy gathered her under each of her arms, guiding her as she hopped towards her doorway and then inside her house. Angela Rizzoli called for her other son, Frankie, to come help as she held open the door for them. Maura smiled gratefully at the woman she considered like her own mother, and at the men she considered like her own brothers.

They brought her over to the couch, Jane and Frankie going to the kitchen to get her some water. Tommy confided in Maura once more about his personal dilemmas, and Angela joined them at the end of their brief conversation.  
Jane and Frankie returned to the living room, bringing Maura some water. Maura smiled at the family surrounding her, she felt safe and loved.

"My surgeon was very impressed with Jane's incisions" she nodded towards Jane.

"I always wanted a doctor in the family" Angela laughed.

"Well too bad you got two cops and..." Jane gestured to Tommy who was beside her.

"An undertaker?" Frankie chuckled.

"N-n-no, no, not doing that ever again" Tommy was adamant. He didn't have the stomach for that kind of work, unlike his siblings.

They all laughed, Maura joined in. It was great to feel as if she was a part of a family again.

Angela hugged Frankie close, "I got three great kids" she smiled as Frankie kissed her tenderly on the head.

"Yeah, I think you got a doctor too" Jane sat down beside Maura. She watched as Maura eyes began to swell, she knew that she too was fighting back tears.

"Thanks" Maura smiled sadly, she wanted it all to be over. She wanted Jane to be her best friend again. Jane nodded.

"And thank you for saving my leg, Jane" Maura's voice trembled, she looked down upon her leg, the one she was so close to having lost. She turned back to her friend, another one she was so close to having lost.  
Jane shrugged, she didn't know what to say. She wanted to lean over and hold Maura tight, she wanted their bodies to be flush against one another and for neither to ever let go.

"I think you two should apologize to each other" Angela stated. She, too, was sick of the two girls fighting. Everyone was.

At the same time, as if completely in sync, Jane and Maura turned to Angela and snapped "Butt out!". But they loved her, they loved her even if she butted into their relationship. Jane knew in that moment that if she told her mother that she was in love with Maura that she would accept it. She might find it hard at first, but she would love Maura just as much if she had of been her own daughter. Jane was certain she already did.  
Maura punched Jane's arm softly and awkwardly. She didn't always do so well in social settings and she couldn't help but wish that she and Jane were alone in this moment.

"I'm sorry if you are" she mustered.

"Okay, but I'm less sorry" Jane shook her head and shrugged in a childlike manner, prompting Maura to raise her eyebrows and squint at her.

They both smiled and laughed slightly.

"No, we were both jerks" Jane admitted. She wanted to say more, but felt the pressure of the audience around them.

"You were both assholes" Angela grumpily said. Jane and Maura turned their heads to look incredulously at Angela, suprized at her manner.

"Ma...watch your language" Tommy told her off. She shrugged at him in return.

Maura laughed, prompting Jane to erupt in soft giggles as well. What a family they were.

"And...I didn't really win sweetest camper award". She felt it best to come clean, after all Maura had dreamed about voting for her. She didn't need to hang onto the lie anymore, if Maura thought she deserved to win then she already had won.

"You didn't?"

Jane shook her head in response.

"I missed you" Maura sighed.

"I missed you too" Jane's voice broke as she enveloped Maura in a hug, nuzzling into her neck. She wanted to tell that she loved her, but it felt wrong in front of all the people there. Suddenly she was having doubts, this moment felt so perfect...she didn't want to ruin them again by telling Maura how she really felt.

_No one knows you, till it's over_

_You know no one true, till it's over_

Hours passed and soon the sky grew dark. Frankie and Tommy had left soon after dinner and Angela had retired back to the guest house, complaining of the stress headache the two girls had given her that had exhausted her. Before she shut the door behind her she had turned to the two women and raised a finger to point directly at them, "Never again, okay. You two, together forever. No fighting, I don't want to hear any of it" she warned.

They chuckled as she departed, pouring wine for one another and gradually making their way to Maura's bedroom. Jane practically carried Maura up the stairs, acting as a human crutch.

They sat beside one another in bed, laughing and telling stories. In no time they had finished an entire bottle of wine, and were huddled close for warmth and comfort. They were just drifting off to sleep when Jane decided that she needed Maura to know.

_Is this all I do?_

_Is this all I do?_

She tapped Maura slightly, making certain that she was awake. "Maur?"

"Mmmh?"

"We've been through a lot, you know" she began, fumbling over her words. "So much. And I need you to know that you mean everything to me", Maura opened her eyes now to look at Jane. She could see the tears forming in the corner of her dark eyes. She reached up to wipe one away as it fell upon her cheek. Jane leaned into Maura's hand, resting for a second as she stared back at the beautiful woman before her.

"Not being friends with you, it was the worst time of my life. I just...I need you to know that before I say what I'm gonna say next..." Maura nodded. She knew this was serious, Jane's expression was completely heartfelt.  
"I love you Maura. I'm in love with you. I think I have been for a long time, I was just too scared and proud and stupid to admit it. But seeing you tonight..." she gulped "in the car...dying...I just...I couldn't deny it anymore and I needed you to know because even if you don't feel the same way, Maur, our jobs...we're gonna end up in life or death situations again, I know it, and I just needed you to know just in case next time...just in case next time is that last time..."

She took a deep breath, watching Maura's face for recognition as the words she had spoken began to sink in. And then Maura smiled, small at first and then growing larger until Jane could see both rows of her teeth. Jane grinned at her in return, she felt stupidly happy to have finally admitted her feelings to Maura and to herself.

"Are you going to finally kiss me, Jane?" Maura laughed, raising herself closer to the detective.

Jane just nodded in return and then gripped either side of Maura's face, pulling her into a deep kiss. The moment their lips touched was full of spark and passion, there was a hunger within each of them to devour the other fully.

Maura pulled back just as Jane had swung herself over to be upon her, her leg was aching. She winced from the contact of Jane's knee upon her own, and instantly Jane began swelling with apologies. She squeezed Maura's hand, her face broken with guilt for hurting Maura. If there was one thing she never, ever wanted to do it was hurt Maura in any way shape or form ever again.

Maura shook her head, and brought Jane in again for another kiss. This time it was softer, more gentle. But full of love and empathy.

"Oh..." Maura spoke as their lips parted once more, "I love you too, Jane".


End file.
